https://soundcloud.com/davidmbirchall/rbs-click-track
An interesting first day making field recordings to go in the Loiterer’s Resistance Movement exhibition taking place in the People’s History Museum in July. The starting point I’m working with is mapping and exploring the area surrounding the museum using electromagnetic signals captured by a pair of pickups as my starting point.
Some notes below. The above recording is an interesting spot being generated by signals emitting from a bank in Spinningfields.
013: Stretford Metro-Deansgate/Castlefield Metro. Headphones. Sort of muted response compared to some previous pickup/tram recordings. Not as much harmonic tonal material being generated by speeding up and slowing down of trams as I expected.
014:Deansgate Metro-People’s History Musuem. High level of background crackle rumble. City type vibe. Some sound from recording device electronics: maximise distance between it and pickups. Round Eyed CCTV camera on top of massive tower on corner of Quay St/Peter St/Deansgate generating a bunch of interesting high end noise. Outside of burger restaurant on Deansgate near start of Spinningfield some nice flurocesent sign sounds. Eyeballed by staff on break on 4th floor of office as I’m trying to find a sweet noise spot on Hardman St. Realise it looks pretty weird as I’m moving back and forth looking about trying to ascertain how a electromagnet signal and possible sound source are matching up. Remember to wave and smile next time.
015: PHM -Salford Central. On listen back lots of nice little electronic gulps and spluters but nothing super interesting. The line that runs through Salford Central appears to be diesel powered.
016 Salford Central-New Bailey Bridge-Hardman Boulevard-Hardman Sq-Deansgate. Started to get very interesting. Nice loud electronic glitch and gulp near restaurant at end of New Bailey Bridge. Then heavy clicker rhythm outside bank just further up on Hardman Boulevard. About 30m metres up a line of powered bollards was emitting a intense top quality roar of noise, then strangely as I crossed Gartside St. a shift to a different frequency band of noise and then a high end drop out with magnified bass. Interesting little spot. I’m guessing since this area is newly built there are some heavy weight web and electrical connections buried around and about. The bollards are obviously powered by motors and have some kind of sensor/trigger generating the sound.
David Birchall 